Where Are You?
by The Wayfaring Strangers
Summary: Ahsoka has a unsettling premonition. Anakin dreams of darkness. Obi-Wan begins to understand. [Very old; don't read this unless you want a headache. The only thing keeping it from vanishing forever is a sentimental attachment with our origins as writers...]
1. Ahsoka

_**A/N: I just had this weird urge to write about Ahsoka. Actually not that weird when I sit around watching Clone Wars clips. In German. (Yes, of course I am insane. Why do you ask?)**_

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><p>The endless stream of ships and speeders passed the window of their shared quarters in the Jedi Temple. Ahsoka Tano yawned and distractedly tugged one of her striped <em>lekku<em>. They seemed to be getting longer and longer these days. She secretly wondered how Togruta like Master Ti coped with waist-length _lekku_. The padawan didn't want hers getting that long any time soon.

White eyebrows met in a small frown as the young girl thought about the future. What would become of them?

Ahsoka blinked and looked around the empty, quiet apartment she shared with her Master, wondering how long it be until he came back. he had already been gone for several hours, and it was getting late. The girl wondered where he was... He had only told her he was "going out". But his emotions had bled darkly through the Force.

The padawan wished her master wouldn't try to keep so many secrets. She was his padawan after all, it wasn't like she was going to rat. Besides, she had her suspicions anyway. Not that she would tell Anakin that. She understood that he needed to get away from the demanding Jedi Council. Leave was all too short. But still, Ahsoka worried for him... _Where are you, Skyguy?_

The padawan shook her head free of distracting thoughts and tried to concentrate on the datapad she supposed to be comprehending. She heaved a sigh. She could care less about irregular Twil'leki adverbs...

_Fire._

_ Darkness. _

_ Despair._

_A pale face._

_The ruined walls of her beloved Temple, clogged with smoke and ridden with bodies of the dead. Tears sprang to her eyes. No! Ahsoka would be strong... But could _this_ be the will of the Force? A blaster bolt whizzed past her montral. Ahsoka whirled around, ready to defend herself...and was met with charching clones._ What!_ She felt a shot hit her leg, and heard herself scream. Then someone was calling her name - Ahsoka tried to respond, tried to help, but she felt herself sinking, falling, sliding...she couldn't stop, she couldn't understand she couldn't see! _Master! Help me! _And then he was there, pulling her out of that sucking, clinging Darkness...But something was wrong with him... very wrong...she could feel his blackened emotions swirling around him like Sith's cloak. Then he spoke. _"You shouldn't have come here Snips." Even his voice was wrong. Now_ he turned towards her and she gasped in shock, for his eyes, Anakin's blue eyes, burned with an angry, yellow fire.  
><em>

The young Togruta's eyes flew open. _**No! **_That was impossible. Skyguy would never betray the Jedi like that! She knew he wasn't exactly the model Jedi, but he would never fall to the Dark Side! But then Ahsoka remembered times when he had been so angry, times when he had risked everything for those he loved, and she remembered times she had seen the anger, flashing across the bond they shared_._Ahsoka realized that night had fallen, and Anakin was missing. The padawan reached out across their bond only to be met with high shields and a vague sense of pain..._ _Where are you, Skyguy?__

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><p><em><strong>Not my best work...I'm pretty happy with it, though. DarthMihi said it was too short, but I disagree...What do you think? I know the part about the lekku was kind of a non sequiter, but I was trying to show how Ahsoka's mind would wander. Also, this wasn't supposed to have a happy ending. All the chapters will be alternate futures, shown to different people. PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! ~RandomCelt and DarthMihi, the editor. <strong>  
><em>


	2. Anakin

**_Okay...second chappie. Read and rejoice..ish. Just please don't attack us! We tried. We really did!_**

Anakin strode forward, hood obscuring his face. Down, down, down, through the levels of Coruscant. He didn't really care where he was going, as long as it was _away_. Away from the pompous Council and all it represented...away from Obi-Wan who tried to understand-but of course he couldn't. From Ahsoka, who asked too many questions. From master Yoda, whose eyes seemed to penetrate his heart. Anakin scowled. His heart was his own.

The Chosen One tripped over a.._something_..and was hauled back to the present. _Kriff!_ He didn't care what Obi-Wan said. Walking and thinking at the same time was a bad idea. But thinking about Obi-Wan reminded him of his recent mission and the men he had lost...their faces flashed through his mind in an amber blur. Anakin knew that the Council would blame him for the mission's failure, but he hadn't known that the Seppies were waiting for them. At least Ahsoka had not been there.

He dreaded Obi-Wa's lecture on being reckless. Couldn't he see that the lectures never helped? Anakin assumed he must not care enough to notice. That was Obi-Wan. Always worried about the code.

Yes, Anakin needed to forget...

Anakin realized that he had had entered the lower levels, places where Jedi didn't belong. But he didn't feel like a Jedi then. He looked up, tired of staring at the ground. A bar... Pounding music and moving bodies made it easy to forget. And that was what he needed.

It really was, he told himself as he pushed open the door.

He sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. Something strong, he told the alien bar-tender. The Besalisk simply nodded, knowing that to refuse a Jedi was... _not_ the best policy. Anakin had another correlian whiskey, and another...music dimmed, lights blurred. A throbbing swirl of lesser lights and shadows...

_Fire._

_Darkness._

_Despair._

_A pale face.  
><em>

_He was standing in the Temple. But it was not the Temple he had left...it was horribly skewed. The first thing he saw was all the bodies. Lying crumpled, destroyed..There were so many...All the Jedi order lay slain before him. The once serene halls of the Jedi Temple now whispered with the echoes of the dying. _

_ Smoke. The Temple was burning. _

_Panic and anger filled him. Who had done this? The Separatists? But that was impossible.. the Temple was impenetrable, wasn't it? Fear closed around him. _ Ahsoka! Obi-Wan! _ He reached through the Force, trying to sense them, but all around him it swirled like a Sith's cloak... And he knew that darkness. He tried to penetrate the darkened Force, but it was too strong. So he tried to run, tried to find his Padawan and his Master. But Anakin couldn't move. Another wave of fear washed over him. Footsteps echoed as a clone ran up to him.  
><em>

_ "Sir!" he said, "we found Tano." _

_Confusion filled Anakin. _Trooper! _What was a clone doing here?_ Ahsoka? That was good, but why had he called her "Tano"?_ But Anakin couldn't speak. Then a voice rang loud in his ears. _

_"Where is she?"_

_The voice was familiar to him, but strange and full of Darkness...a Sith's voice. But then the clone was speaking.  
><em>

_"Follow me sir."_

_So _Anakin_ followed. Through the desecrated halls of his home..through the ruins of an Order, and the weeping Force. He tried to stop,to understand what was happening, but he couldn't, Chosen One or no. He realized that he, Anakin Skywalker, was helpless, and he hated being helpless.  
><em>

_The clone stopped walking. He pointed to a heap of dead younglings. And Ahsoka. Was she dead? But he knew the answer. He had failed her. _Snips!_ Why? Why Ahsoka? He felt a howl of grief growing within him. The voice spoke again. "Padawan!" The voice was full of grief. "Ah, she defended the Jedi, let her die with the Jedi." Now the voice was cold._

_Anakin listened, and he knew that the voice was his own.  
><em>

_No.** NO!**  
><em>

Anakin woke up panting, sweat pouring down his face. He hated the nightmares that haunted him...or could it have been a premonition? Cold dread filled the Chosen One, as flashing lights and pounding music invaded his senses.

He had to get home.

_**What say you? There will be two more chapters. PLEASE REVIEW! They make the Plot Bunny happy. And you don't want an unhappy Plot Bunny. (this is not a threat.) HOWEVER, all flamers shall be fed to the Raging Cheese. (this is a threat, trust us.) ;) ~DarthMihi and RandomCelt**  
><em>


	3. ObiWan

**_Behold! Chapter thre__e! Sorry we took so long. Thank you again to all our reviewers! We love you guys! _**

**_To our anonymous reviewer, Reader88 Ahsokalover, as you can see, we continued, and here is more._**

**_Disclaimer: SW is the property of The Great Bearded One. __ And don't you dare think we are referring to ourselves by that statement!_**

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><p><em>He had to get home. <em>

Anakin stood hastily, wanting to get the heck out of there and never come back! But then the room began to sway and reel. When it grew still again, the Jedi found himself...on the floor? He felt nauseous, and he wished he had stayed at the Temple, where he belonged.

As if echoing his thoughts, a gravelly voice from somewhere above yelled "Beat it kid. You've had too many!"

Anakin didn't move. After all, a Jedi being sick all over the floor was probably not what the bar-tender wanted...

But now said Besalisk was yelling things that amounted to _Get the the kriff outa here!_ _Before I have to make you!_ In several different languages. "Move!" A dangerous voice growled in his ear as four strong arms lifted him off the sticky floor. Anakin growled, and Force-shoved the arms. The four-armed alien grabbed him again, grumbling something about "Jedi poodoo." He opened a back door and the Jedi felt himself flung into an ally. A door slammed and darkness encircled him. Somewhere, a mongrel howled. He wished the fog in his mind would clear so it would be easier to think.

It was then that Anakin realized how alone he was.

Skywalker sighed. He stood slowly, intending to go commandeer a someone's speeder from in front of the bar.

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><p>The massive door of the Council chamber opened, and a Jedi walked out. As he hurried to the lift, he wondered about Anakin. Obi-Wan sensed that his friend's latest mission had not ended well, but even so, Anakin should have reported it to the Council. They had given him a couple of days...where <em>was<em> he? The foxy-haired master turned his steps towards Anakin's quarters. _Perhaps his Padawan would know_..._assuming she was a night owl like her master, and still awake_, he thought, glancing at his wrist chrono. _Why, oh why must the Council sessions appear to go on for at least half of infinity?_

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><p>Ahsoka looked up expectantly as the door opened. To her surprise however, it was not a more or less disheveled Skyguy, but Master Kenobi.<p>

"Master Kenobi?"

"Hello Ahsoka." He replied. "I'm sorry to bother you at such a late hour, but do you know where Anakin is? He should have reported to the Council on his mission several hours ago, at least." Ahsoka frowned.

"No, I don't. A few hours ago. All he said was 'I'm going out', but he felt...wrong."

"Not good" Murmured Master Kenobi into his beard. He sighed, and sat down in an inconspicuous corner to meditate.

_Why is he meditating in our apartment? _Oh well, he was meditating now, and she couldn't ask. Besides, Anakin had always told her that bugging Master Kenobi was a bad idea. When he wasn't doing it himself. The Togruta still didn't understand how they could survive their constant arguments, and still be friends. Ahsoka frowned, relizing that after being his Padawan for a number of months, she still didn't understand her Master very well.

Ahsoka sighed, now she was worried. She looked out the window and watched the slowly dwindling stream of traffic. It was well past Coruscant's midnight , for the hundredth time that night, she wondered...

_Where are you, Skyguy?_

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><p><strong>AN There we go! Chappie three! There should be one more chapter, and then this little ficcie will have come to a (somewhat) fluffy end. But say! What thinkest thou, noble reader? For verily, we would know. **

**P.S. We can do review replies as various SW characters. Just ask for one! XD**

**~DarthMihi & RandomCelt  
><strong>


	4. Burning Sand

**A/N dun, Dun, DUN! We're baack!  
><strong>

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><p>Obi-Wan thought over his recent vision, trying to make some sort of sense out of it. He didn't understand how it could be possible. Anakin couldn't fall to the Dark side, he was the Chosen One! Obi-Wan knew he would've had trouble dueling a fallen Anakin, and he would never have killed him! Especially not like that. He shuddered inwardly.<p>

The foxy haired Jedi sensed that Ahsoka was watching him. He hastily plastered on his council member face, and struggled to project calm. "It grows late, Ahsoka. Perhaps you should get some sleep", he said calmly.

"Yes Master Kenobi." replied Anakin's padawan, but she contrived to make it sound like a chorus of dejected younglings. However, the girl did as he had asked.

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><p>Ahsoka didn't want to go to bed. But she would, because when Jedi Masters suggested you do something, they meant do it. Not think about doing it, as the young Togruta had learned from her time around Master Plo. So, she went to her room, taking her datapad of Twil'leki adverbs with her. She would try studying those again. After all, that was what had caused her to fall asleep before she had her vision...maybe it would work again. She entered her room, closing the door behind herself, and sitting down on her bed. The padawan leaned back against the wall, and prepared to study the language of the Twil'leks.<p>

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><p>Anakin crept through the huge front door of the Temple. Walking through the huge, empty hall made him feel very insignificant. Somehow, a small part of him still expected that only the sky could be that big...only the sky could go on forever...He called himself back to the present, shielding his Force-presence and hoping fervently that no one would notice him. He was too tired to find a back door, and almost too tired to care if he was seen anyway.<p>

Anakin felt like poodoo, and he had vowed about three times never to do any thing of the sort again. As he hurriedly sneaked down the halls of the Temple, he pondered and worried over his vision. It was impossible. It _had_ to be. Then Anakin sensed a Jedi coming. He stepped behind one of the pillars, and let the Zabrak pass. Master Koth. He was up late.

Anakin darted to the lift, and set it for the right floor. His apartment was only a little way from the lift, soon he would be safe. He exited the lift, and padded down the dark hall. Stopping before the right door, he breathed a sigh of relief before brushing it open with the Force. He softly closed the door behind him, vaguely sensing that Ahsoka was still awake. She was in her room though. No, wait, she had darted out from behind the couch, and was standing directly in front of him. _Great. _

"Uh, Hi Snips." He said. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Skyguy?"

"I was worried about you." Said his padawan softly. "I'm glad your back." She said, a little bit louder, and in a happier voice.

"Me too, Snips, me too..." Replied her master, trailing away.

"Where were you Skyguy? Oh well, never mind."Then Ahsoka did something that Anakin never would have expected. She came forward and gave him a hug. "What?" She said into his shoulder, voice almost accusing. "You needed that."

Anakin supposed she was right. "Thanks Snips..." he mumbled, hiding his surprise. Then, Ahsoka sniffed and observed, " Your breath smells weird."

She sniffed again. "Almost like...Skyguy!" She said dissapointedly.

"I...I'm sorry Snips." He murmured. _No! She wasn't supposed to notice! She was supposed to be in bed! What would she think of him now? He was her master. He was supposed to set a good example for her, be her role model. Not go out and get drunk!_ "It's okay...I guess..." She said, giving him another hug. "Look, you're my master, and I care about you no matter what you do, okay?"

"Right Snips...thanks."

"I'm going to bed now." Ahsoka dissapeared down the hall.

Anakin sank into the couch. This was not good. At least she wasn't angry though...and she cared. Someone besides Padmé cared! Anakin grinned. _Thanks Snips!_ He sent over their bond. _Good night Skyguy_, came his padawan's sleepy response.

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><p>Ahsoka sensed her master. Finally! She sneaked out of the hall, and hid behind the couch, hoping Master Kenobi wouldn't spot her and tell her to go back to bed. She wanted to greet her master first, to tell him that wherever he had gone, it was OK, because he came back. Master Kenobi wouldn't do that. He would tell Anakin to pay attention, and follow the Code better. After all, he was a Council Member, and he could really grumpy sometimes. She watched Anakin enter. Greeted him, hugged him, and told him it was ok. He seemed much reassured by that. Then, as she was falling asleep, he sent another <em>"Thanks Snips!"<em> Only this one was mental. _"Good night Skyguy."_ She sleepily replied.

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><p>Obi-Wan watched the meeting of Master and Padawan. It was better that way, better that Ahsoka should greet him first, he decided. Anyway, he wasn't going to interrupt. His former apprentice didn't seem to have noticed him yet, so he would confront Anakin later, after Ahsoka went to bed. Ah, she was going now. The Jedi Master watched Anakin sit dejectedly down on the couch. But then, he appeared to be thinking, and suddenly, the boy's face split into one of his cocky grins. Well, that was better than being dejected, Obi-Wan supposed. Now was the time. Obi-Wan stood, and quietly padded up behind Anakin, seated on the couch. He shielded his presence slightly, and observed the younger Jedi from above. Obi-Wan quietly walked around the couch, and approached the boy, who still didn't seem to notice him. Anakin's former master stopped directly in front of him, and said softly, but still rather commandingly, "Anakin." Obi-Wan watched him start at the sound of his name. "You scared me!" Anakin glowered.<p>

"You should pay more attention to what's going on around you." Obi-Wan chided, crossing his arms, and looking accusingly down at the boy.

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><p><strong>There! Another chapter! *sigh of relief* Sorry folks, but there will be one more chappie...again. *cringes* It was just too long. Big Thanks to all our reviewers! And, we haven't had to sic the Raging Cheese on anybody!O-o<br>**

**We hope you like this one. Please review. And tune in next time for the fluffy ending!**

**And we would like to add that anyone who reviews all the existing chapters can submit a line (dialouge or description, whatever) and we will use it in the 6th chapter. **

**~'Celt & 'Mihi**


	5. Home

**A/N dun, Dun, DUN! We're baack!  
><strong>

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><p>Obi-Wan thought over his recent vision, trying to make some sort of sense out of it. He didn't understand how it could be possible. Anakin couldn't fall to the Dark side, he was the Chosen One! Obi-Wan knew he would've had trouble dueling a fallen Anakin, and he would never have killed him! Especially not like that. He shuddered inwardly.<p>

The foxy haired Jedi sensed that Ahsoka was watching him. He hastily plastered on his council member face, and struggled to project calm. "It grows late, Ahsoka. Perhaps you should get some sleep", he said calmly.

"Yes Master Kenobi." replied Anakin's padawan, but she contrived to make it sound like a chorus of dejected younglings. However, the girl did as he had asked.

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><p>Ahsoka didn't want to go to bed. But she would, because when Jedi Masters suggested you do something, they meant do it. Not think about doing it, as the young Togruta had learned from her time around Master Plo. So, she went to her room, taking her datapad of Twil'leki adverbs with her. She would try studying those again. After all, that was what had caused her to fall asleep before she had her vision...maybe it would work again. She entered her room, closing the door behind herself, and sitting down on her bed. The padawan leaned back against the wall, and prepared to study the language of the Twil'leks.<p>

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><p>Anakin crept through the huge front door of the Temple. Walking through the huge, empty hall made him feel very insignificant. Somehow, a small part of him still expected that only the sky could be that big...only the sky could go on forever...He called himself back to the present, shielding his Force-presence and hoping fervently that no one would notice him. He was too tired to find a back door, and almost too tired to care if he was seen anyway.<p>

Anakin felt like poodoo, and he had vowed about three times never to do any thing of the sort again. As he hurriedly sneaked down the halls of the Temple, he pondered and worried over his vision. It was impossible. It _had_ to be. Then Anakin sensed a Jedi coming. He stepped behind one of the pillars, and let the Zabrak pass. Master Koth. He was up late.

Anakin darted to the lift, and set it for the right floor. His apartment was only a little way from the lift, soon he would be safe. He exited the lift, and padded down the dark hall. Stopping before the right door, he breathed a sigh of relief before brushing it open with the Force. He softly closed the door behind him, vaguely sensing that Ahsoka was still awake. She was in her room though. No, wait, she had darted out from behind the couch, and was standing directly in front of him. _Great. _

"Uh, Hi Snips." He said. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Skyguy?"

"I was worried about you." Said his padawan softly. "I'm glad your back." She said, a little bit louder, and in a happier voice.

"Me too, Snips, me too..." Replied her master, trailing away.

"Where were you Skyguy? Oh well, never mind."Then Ahsoka did something that Anakin never would have expected. She came forward and gave him a hug. "What?" She said into his shoulder, voice almost accusing. "You needed that."

Anakin supposed she was right. "Thanks Snips..." he mumbled, hiding his surprise. Then, Ahsoka sniffed and observed, " Your breath smells weird."

She sniffed again. "Almost like...Skyguy!" She said dissapointedly.

"I...I'm sorry Snips." He murmured. _No! She wasn't supposed to notice! She was supposed to be in bed! What would she think of him now? He was her master. He was supposed to set a good example for her, be her role model. Not go out and get drunk!_ "It's okay...I guess..." She said, giving him another hug. "Look, you're my master, and I care about you no matter what you do, okay?"

"Right Snips...thanks."

"I'm going to bed now." Ahsoka dissapeared down the hall.

Anakin sank into the couch. This was not good. At least she wasn't angry though...and she cared. Someone besides Padmé cared! Anakin grinned. _Thanks Snips!_ He sent over their bond. _Good night Skyguy_, came his padawan's sleepy response.

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><p>Ahsoka sensed her master. Finally! She sneaked out of the hall, and hid behind the couch, hoping Master Kenobi wouldn't spot her and tell her to go back to bed. She wanted to greet her master first, to tell him that wherever he had gone, it was OK, because he came back. Master Kenobi wouldn't do that. He would tell Anakin to pay attention, and follow the Code better. After all, he was a Council Member, and he could really grumpy sometimes. She watched Anakin enter. Greeted him, hugged him, and told him it was ok. He seemed much reassured by that. Then, as she was falling asleep, he sent another <em>"Thanks Snips!"<em> Only this one was mental. _"Good night Skyguy."_ She sleepily replied.

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><p>Obi-Wan watched the meeting of Master and Padawan. It was better that way, better that Ahsoka should greet him first, he decided. Anyway, he wasn't going to interrupt. His former apprentice didn't seem to have noticed him yet, so he would confront Anakin later, after Ahsoka went to bed. Ah, she was going now. The Jedi Master watched Anakin sit dejectedly down on the couch. But then, he appeared to be thinking, and suddenly, the boy's face split into one of his cocky grins. Well, that was better than being dejected, Obi-Wan supposed. Now was the time. Obi-Wan stood, and quietly padded up behind Anakin, seated on the couch. He shielded his presence slightly, and observed the younger Jedi from above. Obi-Wan quietly walked around the couch, and approached the boy, who still didn't seem to notice him. Anakin's former master stopped directly in front of him, and said softly, but still rather commandingly, "Anakin." Obi-Wan watched him start at the sound of his name. "You scared me!" Anakin glowered.<p>

"You should pay more attention to what's going on around you." Obi-Wan chided, crossing his arms, and looking accusingly down at the boy.

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><p><strong>There! Another chapter! *sigh of relief* Sorry folks, but there will be one more chappie...again. *cringes* It was just too long. Big Thanks to all our reviewers! And, we haven't had to sic the Raging Cheese on anybody!O-o<br>**

**We hope you like this one. Please review. And tune in next time for the fluffy ending!**

**~'Celt & 'Mihi**


	6. Attatchment

**A/N:Sorry, sorry, this should have been the last chappie. but it was just too long, so we decided to break it...*kow-tows and cringes*  
><strong>

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><p>"You scared me!" Anakin growled, rising to his feet, to counter his standing master. He was taller than Obi-Wan, and wasn't about to let him forget it. Besides, his master was less intimidating if he couldn't look down on Anakin...But only slightly. Then Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin by his shoulders, and spun him around quickly. He swayed, and would have fallen, if Obi-Wan hadn't still been gripping his shoulders. "I was right" Said his master, accusingly," You've gone and gotten yourself drunk." The man looked at him, and he looked both dissapointed and angry. <em>Great. He was really going to catch it now. <em>"Obi-Wan I-"

"I know Anakin, the mission failed. But that does not give you permission to go and get drunk. The council expected a report on your mission, oh, a day ago, at least." Obi-Wan cut him off, not giving him a chance to explain. "Master, please! I know I messed up! I'm sorry!" Anakin blurted. He just hated it when Obi-Wan looked at him that way. And Obi-Wan always lectured him about the Code.

But then the Master was looking concernedly into the younger Jedi's face. And he said "Oh Anakin, I'm sorry too. Look, your a mess. Go to bed, and we'll talk about in the morning, alright?" The Jedi Master slipped his arm around Anakin's shoulders and led him around the couch, and down the hall to his room. "Goodnight Anakin." Said his master quietly, and squeezed his shoulder. "Er... goodnight Master." Anakin replied, going into his room.

As Anakin closed the door, he wondered how in the galaxy he had missed being lectured for a good hour, and told off before the Council the next day. And instead, Obi-Wan had apologized, and led him off to bed. Since when did he care? Not that Anakin minded. The tired Jedi yawned, and drifted off to sleep, feeling almost peaceful.

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><p>Obi-Wan couldn't believe it. His former apprentice had screwed his latest mission. But instead of coming back to the Temple, and trying to meditate about it, as a Jedi Knight should, he had, by the looks of him, gone down into the lower levels of Coruscant, and gotten drunk. He was a Knight now, not a Padawan, and such things were not excusable. Well, Obi-Wan would see just how drunk Anakin was. He grabbed the boy's shoulders, and spun him around quickly. Since Anakin was such a good pilot, he usually had good balance, and an excellent sense of where he was. However, the younger Jedi swayed, and would have fallen, but Obi-Wan was still holding his shoulders. "I was right. You've gone and gotten drunk." Obi-Wan was dissapointed in Anakin. Dissapointed and..angry? Hmm...well, Anakin deserved it. <em>How could he do this?<em> But Anakin was talking. "Obi-Wan I-" "I know Anakin, the mission failed, but that does not give you permission to go and and get drunk." The Jedi Master reprimanded Anakin. "The Council expected a report on your mission, oh, a day ago, at least." But then Anakin blurted almost frantically, "Master please! I know I messed up! I'm sorry!" Obi-Wan's heart twisted as tearful blue eyes stared down at him. He hadn't meant to hurt Anakin...at least, not that much.

The Master sighed and gently told Anakin that it would be OK, sending as much calm and comfort as he dared down the bond that they still shared. He led Anakin down the hall, noticing that Anakin's broad shoulders shook, just slightly. Obi-Wan didn't think it would affect Anakin that much...after all the boy never listened. As his former apprentice closed the door, a new level of realization slowly washed over him.

_Attachment._

The Council member saw that he was more attached to Anakin than he wished to believe. He sighed again, wondering how he could have let _that_ happen.

But Obi-Wan knew why.

Life and death, wounds and healing, pain and comfort_..._Through all of those and more they had fought. How many times had Anakin fallen beside him, wounded but not destroyed? Yes, the answer was obvious. How could one spend so much time with another, and _not_ grow attached?

The master rested his head in his hands, wondering how he could have missed it...But there it was. Obi-Wan decided that the danger of falling to the Dark Side was not imminent...for himself. He shuddered, remembering his vision.

_No_.

That would _not _happen. Not if he could help it.

He would sleep here, on the couch. He had a strange feeling that he would be needed before the night was over, and if he was wrong, he would leave before either Anakin or his padawan awakened.

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><p>Anakin thrashed in his sleep, tormented by another dream...<p>

_Power._

_His strength in the Force_ _overwhelmed him. Anakin turned his gaze outward again, to ask...the Chancellor? But somehow, it didn't strange that the Chancellor knew the ways of the Force. After all, he was very wise. Now the _Chancellor_ was speaking...  
><em>

_"Ahh, my boy, do feel the power? Do you realize what you can accomplish? No one can stop you now!"_

_"Yes", Anakin said, "But where..." He was in awe. But something felt wrong..._

_"It comes", intoned Palpatine, "from...the Dark Side."_

_**No!**_

_Anakin stepped backwards, trying to escape. But the Chancellor came forward, seeming to grow taller. And the door was shut._

_ Locked._

_"Join me Anakin, it is your Path. You are strong, _strong_, Anakin!" His voice grew black with hatred. "The Jedi have wasted you."_

_Anakin felt the door behind him, cool and hard. He took a deep breath, and countered the Sith. "You don't care about me, you just want power!" His words surprised him, but he realized that they were true. __"My power.."_

_The Chancellor loomed closer, great and terrible. His pale face was all that there was, all there there ever would be. "Come. Ascend. Together, we will rise." His voice was all that Anakin could hear. "Together we will rule this galaxy!" _

_Pale face.  
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_Anakin stumbled, fell forwards..into the face. He would be consumed by it._

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><p><strong>There! Only one more chapter! (We promise!) Really,<strong>** it will be the last!****Please review, if you have any compassion for a poor authoress.**_** *sniff*** _**DarthMihi slaps RandomCelt and says: We hope you enjoyed this Chapter!**_ *ahem*_

_**Note:** Anyone who has reviewed five chapters (it can be any five) can submit a line (dialogue, description, whatever) and we will use it in one of the chapters. (if at all possible) As a kind of gift for reviewing faithfully. Do you think this is a good idea? Got a better one? Do tell. ~'Mihi  
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_WeAreTheOthers: We will work your line into the next chapter, or go back and edit one of the other ones. (We'll let you know which)  
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**~RC & DM**_  
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	7. Trust

**A/N Last chapter! It's hard to believe how far this lil fic has come...*gets sentimental* ...*Mihi shoves Celt out of the computer chair and types: JUST READ IT! *in wheedling voice* _And_ tell us what you think!  
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><p>Obi-Wan sat up with a start. Something was very wrong with Anakin. Emotions were writhing darkly down the bond he still shared with his old Apprentice...<p>

_Fear. _

_Confusion._

_Despair._

Nightmare? Far too strong for that. He had to get in there. Now. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, the Master strode down the corridor...

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><p><em>Anakin stumbled, fell forwards...into the face. He would be consumed by it.<em>

_But the Sith's face was changing... Another face. _"Anakin!"

The Chosen One yelled. He was free now, so he Force-shoved that..._thing_ as far away as he could get it.

" You didn't have to do that." Said a very familiar voice. " I'm not your nightmare." Obi-Wan stood up, surveying Anakin, then murmuring "I hope."

_Kriff._ He had just Force-shoved his Master across the room...and into the wall. Anakin buried his head in his hands. _But, but, that thing! Anyone would've done it. Right?_ He wished Obi-Wan would go away and leave him alone, like usual. Then it occurred to Anakin that he could've hurt him. He hoped not. That would be embarrassing. "Err..are you OK?"

_/You didn't kill me./_

"Go away Obi-Wan." He mumbled, _Use words_ _and lose the_ _sarcasm._ He wished that his Master would stop poking down their bond. Stupid bond. Why was it still there? But Anakin's tired mind remembered. There hadn't been time to cut it when he was Knighted, and no one had brought it up since. It had proved to be helpful, sometimes. Other times, it was just annoying. Like now.

"Anakin?" This time it was a question, radiating gentle concern. Not that Anakin noticed. " I _said_, Go. Away." Anakin cursed his shaking voice.

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><p>Obi-Wan tentatively ventured down their bond. It hadn't been used in awhile, and was starting to deteriorate slightly. He hoped Anakin wouldn't notice his presence. He didn't seem to want Obi-Wan around right now. But the older Jedi just wanted to see what was wrong...<p>

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked concernedly. His friend was definitely not alright. But the response was not heartening.

"I _said_, Go. Away."

Oh dear. He must've noticed. But Anakin's voice shook. Obi-Wan looked up, watching his friend. He was perturbed to see that Anakin's shoulders were shaking too, and his hands obscured his face. Had _he_ been the cause, or was it the vision? Obi-Wan's heart twisted at the sight of his former padawan. He wished he could do something. Something he knew wouldn't push Anakin away. The boy _said_ that the older Jedi was his best friend, yet there was so much that he never told Obi-Wan. And actions always spoke louder than words.

"You had a dream." He stated quietly.

"Yeah." Anakin mumbled, rubbing a hand across his face, and sitting back up.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Obi-Wan wished he had found a way to be more...subtle. But there was no answer. He looked up, to see that Anakin was now staring out into some undefinable point in empty space. Shadows from the window flickered across his face, the lights muted by a flimsy shade.

A single tear slid quietly down his face.

_/Oh Anakin. What did you see?/_

Anakin started, then, realizing that Obi-Wan had used their bond_ again. _He would've glared at his Master, but part of him whispered that is was alright, that Obi-Wan wanted to help. But since when did Obi-Wan care? Since when did he even know how to help?

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><p>Obi-Wan felt a pang of guilt to see his old Apprentice in such a state. <em>Attachment<em>, his mind whispered. But he already knew, and he didn't care. Anakin was in need of help, whether or not he wanted it. Obi-Wan covered the small room in a few strides, and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, which now shook violently.

"What did you see?" He asked again.

Anakin's blue eyes met his, and the Knight drew a shaky breath.

"The end of the Jedi...and the rise of...a Sith.." Anakin's voice was equally quiet, and filled with pain. Obi-Wan took a calming breath, quelling his surprise as waited for Anakin to say more.

Nothing but noiseless tears.

_What now?_ Obi-Wan wondered. This was obviously one of Anakin's worst visions. Obi-Wan couldn't just leave him, and trust the boy to sort it out on his own. But what could he do? He hadn't attempted to comfort his friend since right after Geonosis...that had gone over fairly well, but Obi-Wan himself had wanted comforting then... Ah well, Anakin was a mess, and his heart was telling him to act now, ponder later.

The foxy-haired Master gently wrapped an arm around his old apprentice, feeling strangely awkward. _What did Master Qui-Gon do when I had nightmares?_ He asked himself. His musings were interrupted when Anakin let out a choked sob and crumpled into Obi-Wan's shoulder. He rubbed soothing circles on his Padawan's back, again wondering what kind of vision could have extracted such a response from his friend.

Perhaps one that mirrored his own.

Obi-Wan instinctively tightened his arms around the younger Jedi, trying to reassure Anakin that he would never let such a thing come to pass. Anakin's breathing gradually grew steady and the his tears, shining faintly in muted light, grew less. Moments passed, flowing in steady stream that cared not for the falling and rising of anything...

The Jedi Master took a deep breath.

He needed Anakin to tell him of the mission. Otherwise, his Padawan would have to report on it's status at some unholy hour next morning... Obi-Wan looked at Anakin again. Large dark circles, several bruises, and an air of exhaustion. No. That would never do. The Council would see that Anakin was still distressed about his failure. Overly so, by their standards. By most anyone's standards.

"Anakin." Obi-Wan stated, to gain his friend's attention.

"Hmm?" Came the sleepy response. Obi-Wan pushed Anakin off him gently. He needed Anakin to sit up for this.

"Tell me about your mission. " The foxy haired Jedi looked his friend in the eye, capturing his attention.

"What?" Anakin sounded betrayed.

"Look, if you tell me, I'll report on it for you in the morning. But that only works if you tell me _everything._"

Obi-Wan sensed his old Apprentice draw a shaky breath as he began to relate the story of their ambush...many men had fallen, many more lay in the med bay or nursed their injuries in silence. But there was nothing Anakin could have done. Nothing he hadn't already tried...

The Master blinked, realizing that too much time had passed. Both of them would have to rise early the next morning. _Time and senate meetings wait for no-one,_ he thought wryly.

"Anakin_,_" Obi-Wan said gently_,_"it is time I went and you got some sleep." He rose and turned to go, wondering if his half-asleep friend had heard him. Then a groggy voice drifted up to his ears.

"...Master?"

"What is it, Anakin?"

The reply was soft, but full of emotion. "Thank you."

Anakin was looking up at him, old tears still staining his tired face. Obi-Wan looked down, pondering an answer. He decided on a reminder. "We have a meeting with some senators tomorrow morning, so you had better get some rest."

Anakin put on a small pout. "But Master, going to meetings with the leaders of the Republic to fight the forces of evil is so boring!"

Obi-Wan smiled wryly, secretly marveling at his Padawan's..._irreverent_ sense of humor.

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><p>Anakin took a deep breath. <em>Speaking of Senators...<em>There were things Obi-Wan deserved to know. His Master was here, comforting him in a moment of weakness when he deserved to be resting. Obi-Wan would not betray his vision to the Council. A small smile messed with Anakin's face. he cleared his throat softly and sat up straighter, looking Obi-Wan in the eye.

"Master, there are some things...you should know."

Obi-Wan answered him, eyes twinkling.

"I'm right here, Anakin. I'm listening."

_Finis_

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><p><strong><em>There! <em> *sighs with relief* It's done! We still can't believe how far our first multi-chap fic has come. _ Oh, BTW we never write slash, so don't even DARE to interpret this as such! *Ahem_* Big fat, Sithly, Celtic thanks to everyone who reviewed! Wow. This is it. Finis. The**** End!**

**~DarthMihi & RandomCelt**


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